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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271447">Objective: Cleared</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Nix/pseuds/River_Nix'>River_Nix</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red Marking [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Mafia AU, Assassin Ric Grayson, Crime Boss Jason Todd, Dick Grayson is Not Nightwing, Dick and Ric Grayson are twins, Good Friend Koriand'r, Good Friend Roy Harper, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jason Todd is Red Hood, M/M, Multi, Prostitute Dick Grayson, Ric Grayson is a Talon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:26:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Nix/pseuds/River_Nix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Staying hidden isn’t nearly as easy as some people would like to think.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson &amp; Ric Grayson, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd/Ric Grayson, Koriand'r &amp; Jason Todd, Ric Grayson/Jason Todd, Roy Harper &amp; Jason Todd, Roy Harper &amp; Koriand'r &amp; Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Red Marking [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Objective: Cleared</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’ll admit, I’m a bit surprised that he wasn’t tearing at the walls when he walked inside.” Roy leaned against the console of their main computer, the one where all of the ‘confidential/secret’ grouped files were kept in one place. Kori was quiet as she typed, determined to search through the feed while devoting enough attention to Roy so it wouldn’t be like she was ignoring him. The entire meeting had been recorded by several hidden cameras at Jason’s request. Currently, she and Roy were assigned to rewatch it as many times as it took to get a feel for the assassin. Needless to say, things started off pretty slowly. Leading Roy to bring up whatever thoughts he could that would force some engagement of thought. “He’s surely had to walk into someone’s office and think something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if there are hidden cameras?</span>
  </em>
  <span> or </span>
  <em>
    <span>what if I’m being hunted and this is a trap?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kori giggled at Roy’s attempts at impersonating Talon. He was pretty good at mimicking voices - had to be, actually. There have been plenty of times where he’s led undercover missions that were all about manipulating the enemy to give up information or been right in the middle of a storm and needed to get himself out. When it came to Talon though, the one thing he lacked was the smoothness of his words. Talon had a steady rhythm when it came to speaking and the gruffness of his voice added something charismatic to the deep undertones of his words. It was soothing to listen to and, in a more intimate setting, could be something fun to play with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did mention that he seemed against getting too close to you guys.” Kori paused at one point so she could note down Talon’s height. It was insignificant compared to the other things that she needed to be looking at, but it was better than nothing. If push came to shove, then knowing the size might help with planning a capture in the future. “Maybe he thought that you guys were bugged or planned to pull a weapon on him?” Pen in hand, she jotted down a quick mathematical formula that could accurately compare the point at which Talon’s head could meet one of the filing cabinets to his left. If she could get an accurate marking, then they could use the cabinet to get an exact pinpoint. So far, she had him at around 5’7 or 6’ - any number in between would also work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t stop him from talking. Or going through with the meeting.” Roy groaned as he removed his hat, fingers going along the locks of his hair. “I swear, the way that Two-Face painted it, you’d assume this guy would be difficult to deal with. This seemed too easy.” Not that he was about the lack of hostility. If anything, it made his job of trying to find out more about Talon easier. However, he couldn’t ignore how hasty the assassin seemed - which contributed to how peaceful the meeting went. If he didn’t know any better, then aside from being wary of them, Talon was also impatient. It was if he just wanted to leave and that was that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing is ever ‘too easy’.” Kori finished marking down any other details of physique that she noticed with Talon before turning to Roy. Holding out the notepad, she continued to talk as he took a look: “Which is why Jason entrusted us to review this tape.” From what she could make out, Talon wasn’t too far from the typical view of an assassin. He looked fit enough for his endeavors and had plenty of places to hide equipment. His body type suggested that he relied more on quick maneuvering and agility. Perhaps an assistance of hidden weaponry or poisons. There was a lack of bulk and any muscle that she could pick out from the skin-tight bodysuit looked more spread out so that he never looked buff. It meant that, should they ever need to fight, then they would need to block all exits so that he wouldn’t be able to make a swift escape. They’d need to keep him trapped and force him to fight his way out, hopefully exhausting him or outnumbering/out-strengthening him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess.” Roy nodded to himself as he read over Kori’s observations and small plan-notes. It really was astounding, wasn’t it? How something as simple as height, muscle placement, or general appearance could tell them about a person. Then again, Talon being an assassin should have also given them quite a bit of background information to his capabilities. “Any clues on a possible identity?” It was far-fetched, he knew, but even an idea of where to look would be nice. Integrating Talon in would take more than just a bit of knowledge in his professional life. One needed to be prepared to face some personal obstacles if they truly wanted to reign the assassin in. Or, quite simply put, if they didn’t want to give Talon the chance to run away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Other than the fact that he’s as tall as the average male and possibly between the age of 30 to 40, then no.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold up...30 to 40?” Roy was pretty sure that he didn’t see any mention of age in Kori’s previous notes. “How do you figure that number?” Plus, the dude has his face covered when they met in the meeting. Unless their cameras suddenly gained the ability to see through things, then how could Kori have identified any features that exposed age? Oh! Not to forget that looks could be deceiving. Take Jason, for example. He was well-developed in terms of body and maturity level (though his temper could use some work) when in the field. His features were sharp and defined, no traces of baby fat or adolescent flab to speak of. Any innocence or nativity had long since vanished, replaced by a grounded yet determined-to-make-the-best-of-it view of the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Given his reputation and his efficiency in the line of work, it was always easy for colleagues to overestimate how much time he had to walk on this planet and experience its horrors. Only 23 and he had already been the Red Hood Gang’s leader for...five years? Six? It was difficult to remember. Not to mention that his transition into leadership was hardly the smoothest road to be paved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a foundation. It can be changed any time.” Kori stood, raising her arms so she could crack her back and roll her shoulders. They hadn’t been at the computer for more than an hour and it still felt like they’d been doing this all day. Perhaps that was what happened when you were forced to watch the same thing over and over again, but it had its importance. “I figured that this was one of those cases where time built up a good reputation. Hidden amongst the shadows, there would be plenty of opportunities to perfect your precision and the dissociation that comes with killing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if this guy didn’t need extra time?” Roy refused to believe that this dude was around for so long and he managed to slip under their radar once he stepped foot in Gotham. For crying out loud, they had to learn about him from Two-Face, and only after a major crime lord had been murdered not too long ago. Someone who’s truly been present for that long would have better confidence in themselves, no? Or, if they were playing the ‘cover my tracks’ thing then they had to have been prepared for it since birth. Nobody was around for that long without being caught. “What if his reputation was just built on several mass murders instead of prolonged smaller ones?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’ve adapted that strategy several times when trying to confuse the cops. It was always fun to hear - on the news - that the commissioner had been livid when he found a small shipment instead of managing to bust one of their major operations. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then Talon must have been an international hitman for a while. There’s no way he would have been able to get away with anything too extreme in Gotham without suffering the spotlight at least once.” Kori could understand Roy’s questions about her idea, but the hesitance went both ways. Sure, someone around for longer meant that there was more time to catch them or identify them. Shorter time, meaning that Talon was younger, implied that his time (where he made a large introduction) had yet to come. However, on the opposite end, if he was young and built a reputation through mass murders...then the same logic applied? It was easy to attract attention when more than one or two people died. If Talon had murdered several criminals or more crime lords in quick succession, then everyone would be better alerted instead of in the dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hell, the fact that the Joker was done away with so quickly hinted at his lack of experience dealing with Talon. Or, if he knew, then he downplayed it out of arrogance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By the way,” Kori sat back down. They wouldn’t leave until they were sure that everything had been cataloged, but it was nice to get some stretches in before she suffered through some more stiffness. “Was Jason ever able to confirm his theory?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Roy’s brain stopped after Kori’s question, eyes opening and closing in rapid succession. Words failed him as he opened and closed his mouth, not unlike a fish out of water. He didn’t need to ask which ‘Jason theory’ she was referencing (and the guy had a lot), he knew. And the sad thing was that he couldn’t answer it in a satisfying way. There was no definite proof that Talon was related to the Court of Owls, but it could be argued based on a few aspects. The first and most obvious being his skill in assassination and his lack of concern with his kills. Or, if he did have any emotions surrounding them, then he sure hid them well. Talons of The Court were quiet and quick on the job, slaying to their masters' wills without any remorse or regret. The second thing that Roy could notice from rewatching the footage was the clothing style. The hood, in particular, that their Talon wore was similar to the one he’s seen from old files. He’d have to take another look since it’s been so long (and he’s not had the chance to meet a Talon from The Court in person), but the color and the way that it sat on their Talon was uncannily similar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lastly, and this was more of an afterthought than anything else, was the lack of information. They had no idea who this guy was. Hell, until Two-Face and the Joker, nobody knew that Talon existed in Gotham City - or the world! The only way anybody would know is if they encountered him - where Roy bets that they had a small chance of living on - or they hired him. Jason needed to get Talon’s information off of someone else, who likely got that from a previous employer. And the ladder went up and up and up until it reached Talon’s origin story. He and Kori had been rewatching the meeting between the Red Hood and his new assassin, unable to pick out anything that could hint at who he was. There were so many loopholes and reasons as to why their Talon was so...mysterious...but Roy could only focus on one truth: The Court was known for kidnapping children. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Court of Owls was known for stealing its assassins when they were only children…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Missing reports were never filed and the reason behind that? Roy knew, had seen with his own eyes, that any files connected to the victims had been deleted from existence. He’d seen - when the Red Hood Gang assisted in storming The Court of Owls’ little hideaway - that they weren’t as technologically behind as one might assume. They were made up of some pretty wealthy families in the city and, as such, had access to a wealth of information that made snapping someone out of existence as easy as counting to three. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe Roy was pushing it (a lot), but with everything coming together, it all made so much sense. Not that he could really explain that to Kori, since his own mind still made it out to be some sort of dream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not completely, no.” He turned around to face the screen once more, eyes narrowed as Kori rewound everything so they could start at the beginning. Jason never said that he’d be angry if they couldn’t get any precise information, but he really didn’t want to disappoint the other when they came back empty-handed. Kori’s make-stage plan on how to approach capturing Talon could help move things along smoothly, but the conversion part of it all relied on getting to know the assassin more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was only one clip out of, hopefully, a few more. They had a long way to go and a lot to learn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow...scary.” Richard whispered, wincing as Ric dropped the next box into their cart a bit more aggressively than he needed to. When his twin had come home, looking like he was ready to drink himself into next Sunday, Richard was prepared for silence regarding his next mission. The silence wouldn’t last very long, of course, but routine dictated that Ric would take a few days to get everything in order before complaining/reporting back. So, one could say that it was a surprise when Ric began to mumble about the day he had as they settled down for some needed sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking back on it, going to bed with that fresh in the mind was probably why Ric woke up feeling less than good. Which, in turn, only made the fact that he was willing to buy Richard ten new boxes of cereal all the more worrying. Ric hated the fact that Richard was addicted to cereal! Yet, he woke up grunting about how he “owed you [Richard] a lot by saving Penguin’s fucking files”, something that Richard had yet to hear the tale to. Luckily, his upset twin had yet to snap at anything other than this morning’s alarm-bird; but if Richard was being honest, the brown little thing deserved it. He liked animals as much as the next person, but there was only so much cawing and window-banging that he could deal with before becoming a little resentful. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This morning was just filled with unanswered questions and a tension that finally snapped when Ric scared a middle-aged lady into running to the other side of the store when she accidentally crashed into him. Like, stuff flying onto him from her basket type of ‘crashed’ into. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It really didn’t help their situation. A low profile typically meant that they </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want to attract that type of attention! It was bad enough that, for some reason, identical twins were (apparently) a rare enough thing in this city that people stared wherever they went. It didn’t last too long, just enough to let the two of them know that they were definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>as connected to the shadows as they would have liked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” Ric was equally quiet as sighed. This was not a conversation that he wanted people to hear, but he had no plans of waiting until they were home to vent. “I’m starting to think that I should have done Joker’s murder a bit differently. At least we would have had a bit less to deal with when it came to people.” As Ric reached up to rub some unseen muscle strain near his eyes, Richard felt his chest become wet with sympathy. It wasn’t the first time that he’s questioned the true satisfaction of their lives if Ric could wake up with a bad day already planned ahead. Don’t get him wrong! He loved the fact that they escaped The Court of Owls and made names for themselves in various areas. He loved the fact that Ric had a ‘good’ method of dealing with his own existence in a way that also made enough money to keep them going. He loved that his own job choice was, oftentimes, less bloody and gave him the physical pleasure that he sought after both of their childhoods had been ripped away from them. However, no life was perfect. Even if the ones they lived were as good as it could get. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grabbing onto Ric’s wrist, Richard shook his head. “I don’t think it would have mattered either way.” The Joker was a well-known criminal in Gotham. Even if Ric had done extra security on the kill sight or told Two-Face not to give their contact information away to just anybody, the attention their personas got from taking Joker out would have come back to bite them in the ass. Only, they’d likely be less prepared since they weren’t open-minded to the possibility. “I can help you sort out those files if you want?” When Ric had stolen them, the first priority had been running them through the necessary systems to make sure that they could never be traced. Either back to Penguin’s original operations or to the twins themselves. With that in mind, since it’s been so long, they’d probably need to be sorted as soon as they were pulled up. The dates would come in handy, not something that people took to notice often enough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ric raised a brow at Richard, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t you have any commitments to tend to?” Not that he didn’t appreciate the offered help. Anything to get the job done faster so that he no longer had his own assignment to worry about. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just one at 6:00 PM.” It would go until 8:00 PM, but that wasn’t too new to him. If it wasn’t the long foreplay or someone’s impressive stamina then it was the fact that some people needed a performance if they wanted to get it up. Or if, ya know, Richard felt like indulging the people who paid for his services. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Either way, it seemed to calm Ric. “Alright.” He nodded. With that, he turned their cart around so that they could head over to the vegetables/fruit area. It felt comforting to know that he had extra hands around to make the work quicker - not that he ever doubted that Richard would offer his assistance. It just meant that this whole thing would be done before anything too exposing could happen. The longer they stayed in contact with someone, the less safe it felt for both himself and Richard. While he made a home in the shadows and covered himself with a mask, Richard was heavily exposed to the general public due to his line of work. It made things a bit... nerve-wracking...for Ric when he knew that he had to report to someone instead of just keeping to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One could call it impatience that drove Ric to get things done quickly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d call it a safety measure. No one could know who was ready to pounce if ever given the chance. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I tried to do both POVs’ so that everyone’s story could be accounted for. I hope that I’m not making the characters “too smart” for who they are, but I’m just trying not to fall into the trap of making them sound “too dumb” compared to their canon selves. </p><p>Other than that, here’s my <a href="https://river-nix.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> if anyone wants to message me or find my Ko-Fi info. Thanks, everyone!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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